Wildlife ecologist (and former senior scientist for Audubon Alaska) Dr. John Schoen presented an eight-week “Alaska Wildlife and Wild Lands” class through University of Alaska Anchorage's (UAA) Opportunities for Lifelong Education (OLE) in Fall 2024. These lectures incorporated high-quality images and class discussion to address key conservation issues across the state.
Topics ranged from the ecology of old-growth temperate rainforests like the Tongass National Forest to Arctic Alaska, Alaska’s bears to Pacific Salmon. They also covered how Alaska’s intact ecosystems are being affected by resource development and climate change, and how the wildlife management decision-making process works, including the role of the Alaska Board of Game and the 1991 Intensive Management Law. Guest speakers included Erik Schoen (University of Alaska Fairbanks), Matt Kirchhoff (formerly with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and Audubon Alaska), Margaret Williams (Harvard Belfer Center's Arctic Initiative), Rick Sinnott (formerly with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game), Eric Myers (formerly with Audubon Alaska), Erik Grafe, (Earthjustice), and Erin Dovichin (Alaska Venture Fund). Each of the eight sessions was recorded and is presented below.
OLE is an Anchorage-based non-profit organization, affiliated with UAA, devoted to offering classes to adults of all ages. To learn more, visit the OLE website or call 907-231-0095.
